Gulf Migration, Social Remittances and Religion The Changing dynamics of Kerala Christians Ginu Zacharia Oommen Report Senior Fellowship Programme 2015 Published by:- India Centre for Migration Ministry of External Affairs Room No 1011, Akbar Bhavan, Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021 Phone : +91-11- 24675341 . Email– [email protected] Website: http://www.mea.gov.in/icm.htm 1 © India Centre for Migration, 2016 About India Centre for Migration (ICM) The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) set up the India Centre for Migration in 2008 with Cabinet approval as a ‘not for profit’ society, which serves as a re- search think-tank to the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, on all matters re- lating to ‘International Migration’. The Centre is currently located in Akbar Bhavan, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. The Centre undertakes empirical, analytical and policy related research, and projects to document good practices, to support informed pol- icy making and enable strategic interventions for a coherent and harmonised re- sponse to the transnational movement of people from India. About Senior Fellowship Programme Under the Fellowship Program, India Centre for Migration (ICM) engage scholars, practitioners, academicians and policy makers from India working in the field of in- ternational migration, specifically international migration from India or related sub- jects that have a bearing on the discourse relating to the transnational movement of people. The Fellowship program provides the opportunity to carry out substantive policy research including analysis and providing inputs that are useful to the Minis- try of External Affairs (MEA). Correspondence should be addressed to:- India Centre for Migration Ministry of External Affairs Room No 1011, Akbar Bhavan, Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021 Phone : +91-11- 24675341 . Email– [email protected] Website: http://www.mea.gov.in/icm.htm Design and Production: India Centre for Migration ©India Centre for Migration, 2016 . Printed, designed & circulated by ICM 2 Gulf Migration, Social Remittances and Religion The Changing dynamics of Kerala Christians Ginu Zacharia Oommen Research Paper Senior Fellowship Programme 2015 Published by:- India Centre for Migration Ministry of External Affairs Room No 1011, Akbar Bhavan, Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021 Phone : +91-11- 24675341 . Email– [email protected] Website: http://www.mea.gov.in/icm.htm 3 Ginu Zacharia Oommen (2015) Executive Summary The article has discussed the changing dynamics of Mainly, the rituals and death ceremonies are Christianity in Kerala while discussing the case of return commoditized and objectified with the increasing Syrian Christian community from Gulf countries. The family earning and wealth. A large share of mon- article has discussed the changing religious practices, ey has been spent on religious ceremonies, mar- doctrines and rituals of return migrants of Syrian Chris- riages, death anniversaries, marriage among the tians from GCC countries to Kerala. It is an empirical Christian immigrants. It brings social prestige and research based on field work conducted both in Kuwait admiration of the family in the local social setting. and Kerala. The religious practices are becoming liberal from The Syrian Christian community constituted 18.6 % of the influence of the American Evangelical ideas. the population of total population of Kerala. It comprises The traditional, oriental and hierarchical nature of of different denominations like Syro-Malabar, Malankara the Syrian churches has been replaced with Catholics, Jacobites, Orthodox Syrian Church, Mar- loosely knitted ‘neo-Pentecostalism’ and thomites, Caldhaites, Cannanites and Protestant Syri- ‘commercial Christianity’. ans. Earlier, the community was concentrated in and around 5 or 6 districts of Kerala. However, due to the Some of the religious concepts such as Tithe, high rate of education, occupational diversification, few Tele Evangelists, Gospel Channels, Prayer and local job opportunities in the community, the Syrian Worship, Holy land (Israel) pilgrimage, notion of Christians have migrated to other states in India and ‘Biblical Israel’ which were originated in American also abroad. evangelical theology. These are very popular among Syrian Christians in Kerala. Interestingly, The circular migration to the Gulf countries has the American Evangelical ideas have been popu- strengthened the connectivity of the migrants with the larized in Kerala by the influence of Gulf migrants. home society and thus resulted tremendous changes in the practices and nature of the home society as well as The pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine is another sig- religious institutions. The researcher found that the mi- nificant aspect which is widely prevalent among gration and remittance does have a significant impact Syrian Christian immigrants. Currently, pilgrimage on the religious practices of the Syrian Christians in Ker- to Israel/Palestine (holy land) is extremely popu- ala. lar and thousands of believers from Kerala are undertaking a pilgrimage to Israel every year to Observations: visit holy sites. Every year almost all the church- The article has analyzed the migration-centered es in GCC states organize a Pilgrimage via Jor- religious reorientation of Kerala Syrian Christians dan to the Holy Land especially during the sum- which has inducing commodification of religion, mer vacations. assertion of communal identity, proliferation of Tithe is an Old Testament conception of contrib- radical religious groups, rise of ‘Prosperity Gos- uting one tenth of one’s income to poor and pel’ and the emergence of new forms of worship needy. It was not popularized earlier but recently in the Syrian Christian community. it popularized among the Syrian Christians mi- At present, the Syrian Christians have been using grants as a mark of thanks giving for economic religion as a strategic platform to transform the success. It enhanced the annual income of the economic capital earned from migration to Church had increased 300 times in the last three achieve social prestige, status and legitimacy in decades. the home society. They are also trying to maintain The Syrian Christians have been firmly following links with Kerala as well as an easier-entry to the rules and practices of Christianity in Kerala. How- Syria. ever, the socialist-communist legacy of Kerala In general, a vast majority of migrants to the Gulf has a significant impact on the Christian commu- were mostly middle-class or poor. A significant nity. Additionally, the Church hierarchy particular- proportion of remittances from Kerala have been ly Catholics were at loggerheads with the Com- invested in cultural aspects namely, marriages, munist parties. Many Bishops and clergies openly education, churches etc. supported the Marxian ideas and the Liberation theology had immense influence among the Church leadership. 4 Gulf Migration, Social Remittances and Religion Gulf Migration, Social Remittances and Religion The Changing Dynamics of Kerala Christians Ginu Zacharia Oommen nity. Introduction This is an empirical study based on the field research in The religious topography of Kerala, southern state of Kuwait and Kerala. The field research was conducted at India, is quite unique. Muslims and Christians together Abassiya, the Indian settlement in Kuwait from Decem- constitute nearly 40 percent of the total population, ber, 2009 through January, 2010 and at the which is a rather different demographic pattern from the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala during June 2015. rest of India. Along with the social changes, by the be- Pathanamthitta district is one of the prosperous ‘Gulf ginning of 20th century, the newly introduced colonial pockets’ in Kerala with sizeable Syrian Christian popula- economy prompted Keralites to migrate to plantations in tion and the first wave of migration to Malaya and Sin- Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia (Malaya) as clerks gapore in 1900 was from the outskirts of Pathanamthit- and coolies. ta. The main methods of documentation were through detailed interviews of immigrants and observances at The discovery of oil in Gulf countries and the subse- various cultural performances and festivities. quent oil boom in 1970s generated a huge wave of mi- gration from Kerala. Currently the state of Kerala sends During the field work, in-depth interviews nearly 70 im- the largest volume of immigrants to the Gulf countries. migrants in Kuwait, along with professionals, Indian The ‘Gulf migration’ provided a new lease of life for the journalists, community leaders, priests and academi- otherwise poor employment situation in the state, and cians of the Kuwait University, were conducted with at present nearly 2.28 million Keralites are working in help of a detailed interview schedule. Moreover nearly different Gulf countries. As a result of migration, Kera- 60 respondents were interviewed at Pathanamthitta la has witnessed a series of diverse economic and so- alongside academicians, theologians, Bishops, clergies, cial changes including among others, a money order journalists, local politicians, community leaders and so depended economy. on. A convenient sampling was followed in the study whereby the informants were selected through the links The circular nature of the Gulf migrants has significantly established within the community. The key persons of influenced the class structure, social hierarchy, worship each parish helped to identify the possible respondents.